Miele’s Musings: Presidential Double-crossing

Below are the federal income tax rates that went into effect under Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932, and remained in place for over 30 years. Roosevelt’s tax rates kept America in the Depression until he got us into World War II. He knew the Japanese were planning to attack Pearl Harbor, but did not even notify the troops stationed there. It was all about politics, to show that Japan was the first aggressor.

Look at these tax rates! They are the reason there was no work. People with money closed down their businesses and retired, shrinking the job market, because it cost too much to stay in business. The unemployment rate was 22 percent until World War II. Most of the jobs that did exist were government or Works Progress Administration positions. Otherwise, unemployment would have been more than 60 percent. High taxes created socialism in this country.

Truman was the next one to get us into a war. In 1951, he sent U.S. soldiers on a “police action” in Korea that got thousands killed and taken prisoner. My belief is that he did it to boost the economy at the time. It worked for his predecessor and mentor, FDR, so he thought it would work for him, too. He was in such a hurry about it that he sent troops into the Korean winter in summer uniforms. It was so cold that the guns often froze and became useless.

President Kennedy dropped the highest tax rate to 72 percent, but made up for it by forcing everyone to pay Social Security, which was originally created for blue-collar workers. Kennedy brought in doctors, lawyers, and white-collar workers. He also brought in all government workers, giving government workers two pensions. It wasn’t until Ronald Reagan became president that the highest income tax rate came down to 28 percent.

Then Kennedy got us into the Vietnam War. He and his family and their millions, made on English liquor, should have fought that war.

The Bush presidents did it too, getting us into war against Arabs, Muslims, and many innocent people. This was not for the United States, but for themselves. They were looking for political gain by exploiting the oil situation, the World Trade Center disaster, anything that justified their wars. And they got away with it, without improving the U.S. position in the things we fought for.

Today, we have President Obama, another phoney. He promised “change,” but nothing changed as far as keeping us at war. And economically, we may be on our way back to the Franklin Roosevelt years and another Great Depression.

I’ll leave it to you to just remember, when you vote, forget about what party the candidates are in. They are all for themselves, first and foremost.